| The Paintball marker of today has definitely come a | | | | be replaced. With older plastic markers, when parts |
| long way since the introduction of the Splat Master | | | | wore out, a new marker was needed. Also the |
| years ago. The term itself "paintball marker" is relatively | | | | upgrade of "constant air" came about. Instead of using |
| new. It tends to be more marketable then the words | | | | the 12gram Co2 cylinder, which was good for about 15 |
| "paintball gun" to parents who have teenagers begging | | | | shots, the gun was equipped with a bracket that held a |
| to get started in the sport. | | | | 12 ounce Co2 tank which was good for about 200 |
| Funny though true, the first paintball markers where | | | | shots. |
| used on cattle ranches. In a large herd of cattle where | | | | Constant air was a real breakthrough for the sport |
| cows all bare very similar markings, it can be very hard | | | | and was no doubt a huge stepping stone for the next |
| to single one out of the herd. This is where the paintball | | | | step in the paintball marker evolution, which was the |
| marker proved to be a valuable tool. This was done | | | | semi-automatic marker. Compared to the pump |
| usually to separate a sick animal from the herd. Once | | | | markers, these guns had an incredible rate of fire. A |
| a cow had been marked, it was easily picked out of | | | | player with a good trigger finger could pull off nine |
| the herd. | | | | shots a second! With fire power like that, the invention |
| From cattle ranches to playing fields, the sport of | | | | of large capacity electric hoppers came onto the |
| paintball evolved and continues to do so. | | | | scene. These hoppers were mounted on the top of |
| The Splat Master was one of the first markers | | | | the guns and could hold up to 250 paintballs. They also |
| available. It was a pistol made totally out of plastic. It | | | | were equipped with a small rotating arm inside the |
| was powered by small 12 gram Co2 cylinders and | | | | hopper which helped feed the paintballs to keep up |
| could only hold ten paintballs at a time. The rate of fire | | | | with the much faster rate of fire. |
| was also slow due to the fact the marker first had to | | | | The semi-automatic marker was truly a |
| be tilted back so a paintball would drop into the firing | | | | groundbreaking event for the sport, but the question still |
| chamber. It then had to be cocked by pushing a button | | | | hung in the air would there ever be full auto? |
| on the back of the handle. | | | | That was question was soon answered with a |
| Although even playing the game with this type of | | | | paintball marker called The Angel, but what made the |
| marker was extremely fun, it wasn't long before | | | | Angel a real marvel is that is was computerized. It was |
| players wanted something better, and they got it with | | | | equipped with a small motherboard inside the handle of |
| the creation of the pump action paintball marker. The | | | | the gun. This allowed the user to select several modes |
| pump marker had a much faster rate of fire and could | | | | of fire, including fully automatic. |
| be modified with upgrades to improve performance. | | | | Today's markers have followed the same road map |
| Another great change that came with the pump | | | | that the Angel laid out, and we can only wait to see |
| marker was the introduction of metal parts that could | | | | what the next generation of paintball markers will bring. |